by Christopher Hoene

Like NLC?s 7th Annual Race Equality and Inclusive Communities Week, which takes place Sept. 25-29 and encourages cities to address issues of racism, diversity and inclusiveness, the 49 state municipal leagues around the country feature similar programs and opportunities.

From sponsoring efforts targeting race and ethnic relations to focusing on issues of human rights or democratic practices to include more people in the process of governing, the leagues are all moving toward one goal ? inclusiveness.

For example, state municipal leagues and their partners in Colorado and California are leading efforts to target immigration issues.

The Colorado Municipal League (CML) and the Colorado Trust, an independent foundation with a mission to advance the health and well-being of state residents, published a booklet for city officials on helping immigrants acclimate to Colorado communities.

The booklet, ?The Role of Municipal Leaders in Helping Immigrants Become an Integral Part of Colorado?s Communities,? was written by Denver Post Columnist Susan M. Thornton, former Littleton, Colo., mayor and CML past president. The booklet includes sections on how to get started and ways that Colorado communities are working to become more inclusive.

?This effort is fundamentally about helping build inclusive communities in Colorado,? CML Executive Director Sam Mamet commented on the publication. ?Our organization and our cities should embrace the goal of all people feeling welcome in communities.?

In California, the Institute for Local Government, associated with the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties, recently received a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to develop the ?Local Official?s Guide to Immigrant Civic Engagement.?

Related to this work, there will be sessions later this week at the League of California Cities Annual Conference, held Sept. 6-9, entitled, ?Day Labor Centers: How Cities Respond? and ?Involving Your City?s Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Doing It Their Way.? These efforts are part of a broader program of work focused on democratic engagement and participation, including a recently released Institute for Local Government publication called, ?Beyond the Vocal Few: Ideas To Encourage Broader Public Participation In Your Community.?

Similarly, in Kentucky, the NewCities Institute, which seeks to promote the economic and social vitality of the cities in the state, is sponsoring ?The Leadership Initiative on Erasing Racism.? The action is being conducted in partnership with the National Conference for Community and Justice - Bluegrass Region and the Kentucky League of Cities, and was developed to initiate sustained, effective actions that will address, undo and prevent racism in seven sectors of the Lexington, Ky., area.

The seven sectors of the initiative are economic, education, faith, government, media, social and youth. The partners hope that the process for this action will be replicated in other communities around the state.

State municipal leagues in Iowa and Idaho are both focusing on human rights issues.

The Iowa League of Cities has sought to strengthen its relationship with the Iowa Department of Human Rights, which has been assisting the league in promoting diversity issues in cities. Most recently, the cover story for the June edition of the league?s Cityscape magazine dealt with hate crimes and how cities can respond to incidents and help prevent future occurrences.

In addition, the cover story of the September 2005 edition of the magazine focused on diversity within the state and highlighted the efforts of the Iowa Department of Human Rights. The department also participated in the league?s 2005 and 2006 annual conference and exhibit.

The Association of Idaho Cities is helping to lead the way for human rights and building healthier communities through celebrations, educational events and inclusiveness festivals throughout the state. The association is part of ?Human Rights Idaho,? a network of organizations that do statewide or political/education work specific to the advancement of human rights in the state.

Details: These are just a few examples of state municipal league activities, all of which can be accessed through NLC?s website at www.nlc.org. In the coming weeks, Nation?s Cities Weekly will highlight race equality and inclusive communities efforts by NLC?s corporate partners, partner organizations and individual city practices.

For specific information on the initiatives in Colorado, visit www.cml.org; in California, visit www.ca-ilg.org; in Kentucky, visit www.newcities.org; in Iowa, visit www.iowaleague.org; and in Idaho, visit www.humanrights
idaho.org.

To learn more about Race Equality and Inclusive Communities Week and related activities, contact hoene@nlc.org or (202) 626-3172.